Today, I'm thankful for...

a cup of coffee to start my day.

my new black shirt.

the fact that I need to pull out some of my old jeans and dress pants because my current ones are too big (yes!).

my ipod.

a cup of fountain Dr. Pepper.

the three people who have agreed to be references on our adoption application.

my fellow Rusty Pickle chefs who I got to chat with last night (finally, I got to gush over Edward). :)

the chill in the air and how it makes my house that much cozier.

my church family of friends that have pulled together to serve our friends who are hurting.

my sister who is hopefully coming to spend the weekend with us.

What are you thankful for today?

Lots of stuff

Wow! I'm so behind. It's amazing how easy it is to get backed up with everything when you're gone for a few days. My house is a disaster! We ended up having a great time in Minneapolis. We spent most of the day on Saturday in Stillwater. It was just beautiful up there...the leaves were gorgeous. We got to eat at my favorite malt shop for lunch and then got to check out the coolest shop - The Rose Mille. I got some of the most beautiful colors of vintage German glass glitter and some glassine bags. I was also inspired to make a project hopefully in the near future. We checked into our hotel and ended up getting a free upgrade to the club level. Our room was really nice! We went to the Mall of American so we could eat at Ruby Tuesday's - yum! I was so stuffed! We did a little shopping and then headed back to our hotel for the night.

Sunday morning we went to the fitness center and spent some time in the pool and hot tub. I haven't been swimming in a long time so it was really fun to just hang out and relax. We ended up going back to the mall and ate at Bubba Gump Shrimp = yum! We had their shrimp sampler platter. Glen hung out at Barne's and Noble doing some computer work while I shopped by myself. I had the best time and got lots of cute things. I got some Christmas shopping done too. My best buy of the day was at Nordstrom Rack. I got my sisters the best Christmas gifts there - we're all going to match! :) After the mall, we stopped by the hotel to drop off my purchases and then headed downtown. It was so crazy busy that we ended up having an appetizer and beer at Applebee's because it was all we had time for. So You Think You Can Dance was AWESOME! Our seats were pretty good and the lighting effects for each dance were awesome! I was so glad that we went...my favorite dance of the whole season was the flower and the hummingbird and of course, they did that one! I loved a lot of the Latin dances the best!

Our trip home was rather uneventful. We did stop at the outlet mall and found some good buys at Old Navy. We got home around 2:00 today. I woke up feeling like I have a cold coming on so when we got home I ended up taking a nap. I'm just tired and achy right now. I don't have much of an update on baby Eve. She's still hanging in there so thanks for your prayers. I hope to make it over to Iowa City later this week.

I did get some good news on Friday! Simple Scrapbooks wants another layout for their March/April issue! I'm excited because it's a fun one about a girls' night out this summer = pedicures! :)

Have a good week! I've got a lot on my plate right now! Oh, and I almost forgot!!!!! Our preliminary adoption application was accepted today! Our next step is the formal application...I've already started filling it out the information online. We might even be able to get it done this weekend! :)

I am just heart sick...

I just got home from Iowa City this afternoon. I ended up driving there around 1:00 yesterday with another friend of mine. The baby was born via C-section Wednesday night. Libby was already dialated to a 10 when they got to Iowa City so they whisked her right into delivery. The baby was on a ventilator right away and the majority of her brain was in the ancephalaceal (sp?) sac on the back of her head. By Thursday morning, the sac had started leaking and there was a high risk of infection. Libby and Nate made a difficult decision to do surgery so that they would be able to hold her. By the time, my friend Emily and I arrived, Nate and Libby were just coming out of the NICU before the surgery. Libby saw us and just broke down. We hugged her and cried with her. During the afternoon, we hung out in Libby's room and talked and laughed together. The surgery took about 4 hours. The dr. finally came in to talk to them around 8:00. Nate and Libby came to tell those of us in their church family what the news was. The surgery was more complicated than the dr. thought, but he was able to make it possible for them to hold her. There is no way that the baby will be able to breathe on her own and the condition has left her in basically a vegetative state. Life support is what is keeping her alive. I just hugged Libby and cried with her after they told us. We were able to go into the NICU to see the baby and she's just beautiful. She looks perfect from her little face down. She's chubby and just looks so peaceful. I was able to stroke her little leg. It was just sooo sad and hard to see her looking just like she should be going home with her mom and dad. Nate and Libby named her Eve Elizabeth. Emily and I ended up staying at the home of one of the members of our sister church so we were able to go back to the hospital this morning. I was so glad that I was able to be there for them!

Please, please continue to pray for this family. They need to feel lifted up in prayer right now and surrounded by God's love and comfort. At some point, they will have to make a decision to take her off life support. They are waiting for Libby's dad to arrive from Arizona tomorrow and then I'm not sure what will happen.

Glen and I are headed to a church event an hour away tonight and then we're still going to Minneapolis in the morning. I need to get ready to go so that's all for now.

Prayers

You may remember my friend, Libby, that I talked about on earlier posts. Yesterday afternoon, I got a phone call from a friend who told me that the dr. thought she might be in labor. They were going to monitor her for an hour at the dr. and needed to make some quick decisions. She was already dialated to a 4. The last I heard last night was that they were going by ambulance to the hospital in Iowa City. I'm thankful they decided to go there because that's where a neurosurgeon is that specializes in the type of condition their baby has. It was just amazing to me how quickly the news moved through our church's prayer chain. I called a few other people myself to ask them to be praying. I haven't heard any news yet this morning but it's still early. Please say a prayer for them today. I know that going into labor right now was somewhat unexpected for them and I hope it wasn't too overwhelming. I'm praying for lots of peace right now.

On a different note, yesterday I got my December issue of GiftMaker magazine. In that issue, I have a thank you card (opposite of my friend, Jen...did you notice that, Jen?) and a Christmas card that is available as an online bonus with insructions. I'm sharing the card here, but if you would like the instructions, just visit GiftMaker's Web site.

On the agenda today, I need to wrap up some projects with the November Paper Posies kit, clean up my house, get some projects mailed to Utah, workout and then Grey's is on tonight. I got some happy mail yesterday which was soooo fun! I'm like a little kid at Christmas when I get a package! I ordered some of the newest MME, some October afternoon and some new Maya Road albums and ribbon. I can't wait to play!

Have a great Thursday! :)

EXCITING NEWS!!!

This is probably one of the most exciting things I will ever share about on my blog - our adoption journey has officially begun!!!! Yesterday, we completed the online preliminary application, our essays are finished, we have signed the statements of faith and we have a letter of reference for our pastor. I'm dropping the essays, statements and letter into the mail tomorrow and then we wait for the agency to contact us to start the formal application process. I'm excited and nervous and can't believe that we are finally doing it! Various people have been asking us how the process has been coming and now we finally have something to tell them! I'll definitely keep all of you posted on how things go!

Speaking of getting things done, yesterday afternoon I worked from home and got major headway on some writing I needed to do. I felt so productive that I actually got caught up on some e-mails, did the dishes and cleaned up the kitchen, made dinner, and then sat and scrapbooked with my November Paper Posies kit while I watched Dancing with the Stars. Yesterday was a good day! I know it's been a while since I have shared any project photos so I'll be sure to post some later this week. I am getting super excited about our upcoming trip...I'm hoping to reward myself with a couple new shirts since I've been pushing myself to work out a lot. :)

Have a great Wednesday! :)

Is it Friday yet?

The weekend just ended, but I'm all ready for next weekend. I'll tell you why in a sec. Friday we went out to my mom and dad's to spend the night. I had my usual tenderloin (yum!) and just hung out with my sister and parents and watched a movie. I got up fairly early Saturday, but lounged around for awhile. I went with my other sister to the local craft shop and ended up getting my mom a birthday present. Glen and I went for a walk on the trail near Exira. It was such a BEAUTIFUL day! I couldn't believe it...around 75 and it's the end of October! We took off around 5:30 and headed back to Des Moines. I was sad to leave...it was just fun to hang out. We went to The Blue Man Group when we got back. It was pretty cool...awesome percussion and lighting and off-the-cuff humor (very much the type of stuff my husband thinks is hilarious).

Yesterday was church and then I got some groceries (and a raspberry mocha...don't tell Glen). :) I went for a walk/run after lunch. I'm really not much of a runner. In fact, I hate it! I always feel like my lungs are on fire and my legs are going to fall off while I'm running. I don't particularly care for those feelings so I don't run. My sisters are the same way...we're just not a family of runners. It's also way too hard on my knees so I'll take an elliptical any day. I was proud of myself because I ran about 5 blocks. For a non-runner, that's a long ways! :) I worked on some scrap projects, did laundry and then went to a church event last night. I came home, watched my shows w/ our Sunday night popcorn and then dropped into bed.

Today I'm meeting some friends from my old job at the DNR for lunch. I haven't seen them since I quit in March and I'm sure they think I'm a snob! :) It will be fun to catch up! This is my off week for Bible studies so I'm using the opportunity to get caught up around here and with scrap work. I'm starting to get a little burnt out with all the extra projects I'm doing so I hope that I can start scrapping/crafting for me again very soon.

Anyway...I'm extremely excited for this weekend because we're going to Minneapolis!!!! It's finally time for the So You Think You Can Dance show. We're leaving early Saturday morning and spending two nights up there. I CAN'T WAIT! We're hopefully going to Stillwater for a while and of course to the Mall of America. One of my absolute favorite restaurants is Ruby Tuesday's. We do not have one around here so I take advantage whenever I go to a city bigger than Des Moines. I'm hoping to get some birthday/Christmas present shopping done while we're away.

Well, I better hop in the shower. Have a great Monday! :)

Rain, rain...go away!

I think we're on day 5 or 6 of all rain....it's starting to get old. I know there's places around the state that are flooding because of it. That many days of rain can just start to put a damper on your mood, you know?

Despite the yucky weather, I had an AWESOME day yesterday. I got a St. Patrick's Day card picked up by Cards magazine and the e-mail that really had me excited - a layout picked up by Simple Scrapbooks magazine!!! I have never been in Simple Scrapbooks magazine and it was kind of one of those unconscious goals I'd set for myself. It's a layout I did about the farmer's market and it will be in the March/April 2008 issue. Needless to say, I'm thrilled! Yesterday, I also got my Nov/Dec Scrapbooks Etc in the mail, which has a 2-pager I did of Glen decorating the Christmas tree. Really fun to see this one in print!

Yesterday, I spent some time at my friend, Libby's house (who I mentioned in an earlier post). She's not really one to be too emotional, but I could tell the stress of the past week especially was starting to wear on her. She just kind of unloaded on me and I did the only thing I could do - I listened. I know from past experience that it's good not to give advice because most of the time, there's no way you could ever say the right thing. You just need to be a person they can vent to. We also made a few cards together. She wanted to give some thank-you's to the sonographer and her doctor. I think it did her a world of difference to get her mind off everything for a while. I was really happy I went over there. If you are praying, you can continue to pray for wisdom and clarity for them. I know there's still a lot of confusion about where to have the baby.

Today, I have much to do around the house. I'm headed to the chiropractor, library and gym this morning and then cleaning when I get home. And, later this afternoon - we're going to my parent's overnight! I am sooooo excited to go out there for a visit. It's really like a vacation for us and I miss my family. It's been a while since we have been there. We're coming home Saturday night because Glen got free tickets to The Blue Man Group through work. It should be a fun time!

Have a great weekend full of all your favorite things! :)

Here we go!

I've been having some neck and upper back pain from working out so last night even though I had a perfectly good night to get some work done - I laid on the couch, read, and watched TV. It was great! Oh yeah, and I had a glass of wine. I've really become a wine drinker lately and have been having a few glasses every week. I can only have it if I'm ready to wind down for the night because it just makes me so sleepy. I've been going to the chiropractor about my pain and have been using a heating pad, but I know it will take a while to get it all worked out. I was in a car accident about 5 years ago and have had trouble ever since. Every three months or so, it just flares up and is dehabilitating. I know that if I lift weights and keep those muscles strong, it will help tremendously. So, I just need to get past this point of pain and I'll be good to go.

Today, I'm going to work on some scrapbooking projects for Memory Bound in Ankeny that are going to put on display. Almost all of them are for Christmas. I've come up with a bunch of class ideas, but I need to really get them hammered out in the very near future. I'll be working out later this afternoon and then going over to my friend's house for a little while. Of course, I also have to watch Grey's Anatomy tonight - it's my one show I can never miss!

Here's a quick little card I made using the October Paper Posies kit. I loved the little birds on the Hambly paper and love me some American Crafts. It was so simple to make! The colors in this month's kit are really beautiful together!

Have a great Thursday!

Overcoming the "What-if's"

We had an awesome women's Bible study last night. As you may have read on my blog before, we're going through a study called Overcoming Fear by the Women of Faith speakers. Last night, we talked about overcoming our fear of the future and fear of rejection.

One of the greatest truths I was convicted about was concerning the "what-if's." It's something we all struggle with as we think through situations. We constantly ask ourselves "What if this happens?" as we make decisions. But, God shows us through His word and promises that He is bigger than any "What if" we might have. What we need to think about is what God CAN DO instead of what "might" happen.

In the Bible, God used so many people to do great things. For example, Noah was asked to take a leap of faith - to follow God into the unknown by building an ark. The result of his obedience was amazing - God saved him and his family from the great flood. God also asked Mary to carry a child. The result of her obedience was life-changing for all of us - she bore the only Son of God, Jesus Christ. The next time you are plagued with a fear of the "what-if's", try asking yourself - "What CAN God DO?" Those simple words might just make a huge difference for you! :)

Have a great Wednesday!

Cards for Libby...how to help!

Dear friends,

I'm posting again today because one of my closest friends needs our creative help! My dear friend from church, Libby, is expecting her second child with her husband, Nate. They already have one little girl, Hannah, who is just a doll! Early on in her pregnancy, Libby and Nate were told there was something seriously wrong with the baby. The doctors suspected Down's syndrome. After several tests, they were relieved to find that everything was okay! It was a miracle!

But, a later ultrasound revealed that everything was not okay. The baby has Anencephaly, which basically means that the baby's brain is growing outside its head. The condition is fatal. They were told that the baby might die in the womb or a few hours or days after its birth. As I'm sure you can imagine, Libby and Nate were devastated. The doctors kept telling them to abort the baby. But, they stuck firmly to their beliefs that God created this child for a reason. So, we all prayed for them. And, the baby has continued to grow and live in her womb!

Libby is scheduled to be induced next week. Her and Nate have sadly had to make decisions that none of us would ever hope to make - hospice care, funeral arrangements and even organ donation. Last week, they met with a neurosurgeon from Iowa City who gave them a glimmer of hope. There's a chance multiple surgeries might sustain this tiny life! We're certainly all hopeful and we know God can work a miracle if He chooses to.

So, how can you help this wonderful family? Well, first of all pray! This family needs to be surrounded in prayer as they still have some tough decisions to make. Pray for a miracle! Pray that God's will would be done and the baby would not suffer. Pray for a smooth delivery and for immeasurable peace and strength for Nate and Libby.

Libby has such a sweet spirit and I'm trying to come up with anything I can to help her. Recently, she mentioned to me that she would like to make a bunch of thank you cards to send to people who have helped them. Time has run out, and to me it's the last thing she should be worrying about now.

I have so many talented friends in the scrapbooking world that I thought you might help answer this call for a dear friend of mine. I would like to present her with at least 100 thank you cards that she can use over the next month or so.

If you would like to help, just create as many thank cards as you can. If you can send as little as 1 card, that would help greatly! They can be as simple or as elaborate as you want. The other thing that would help is if you could send postage stamps and it would be awesome if you can include a personal note or card of encouragement to them when you send me the cards.

Please send me an e-mail or leave a comment if you would like to help so I can send you my address. From everyone that sends me cards, I'll draw a name for a fun RAK from me full of lots of my favorite goodies. It's the least I can do for your time and thoughtfulness! I would like to have all the cards in hand by October 31st so if you're willing - get creating! :)

Upsy Daisy Designs

Here's a few cards using Upsy Daisy Design's newest patterned paper, stamps and rub-ons. I love the funky mix of the green colors!

Last night was fun...we were supposed to have our small group meeting, but one of the couples had some damage to their ceiling and living room from all the recent rain we have had. The guys ended up eating and working at their house and the girls ate dinner (and had some wine) at another house and gabbed. It was just fun to hang out and I'm glad the guys were able to help. We have such a great group! We're all extremely comfortable around each other and it's just a lot of fun. We range in age from me (26) up to Carol who is 41. You wouldn't even know there was an age difference among all of us!

Have a great Tuesday! :)

The most productive weekend!

Wow! I'm sitting here just reflecting on everything that happened this weekend, and I'm just amazed I got so much done yet was able to get some relaxing in at the same time!

Friday morning, I went to the scrapbook convention. I was actually pretty surprised there was so many people there that early in the day. There weren't too many booths so I thought I wouldn't find anything to buy. Of course, I was wrong! :) I can usually find something to buy. I bought a few sheets of the new Scenic Route Salem line, some new Doodlebug, some new American Crafts thickers and rub-ons, some new colors of Stickles, a few acrylic shapes, and some twill ribbon. I know it sounds like I bought a lot, but I actually got out of there without spending too terribly much. I was a little disappointed because I wanted to buy some of the new MME from a store. I grabbed several sheets of paper and a couple paper packs and stood in line before I discovered that the store owner was writing every single item down by hand! The two ladies in front of me had STACKS of patterned paper and journaling cards. I would have been in line for an hour! I decided I'd rather go home and shop online after that experience!

Friday night we went to Red Lobster and had endless shrimp! Yum! On the spur of the moment, we decided to go to Ratatouille. It was such a good movie and I noticed a lot of new things they're able to do with animation now. Then, we came home and watched Knocked Up that I had rented earlier in the day. It was not what I was expecting due to the language, which was disappointing. It wasn't just one or two words - the whole movie was full of it. It did have a couple funny parts, but I was just turned off by the language.

Saturday morning, we ventured into very dangerous territory - Wal-Mart! I hate going to Wal-Mart, but sometimes it just must be done. We went a little later than I normally like to go - usually you have to be there by 8:00 in the morning. It took forever because I decided to get my weekly groceries too. Then we had problems with the self-checkout. It ended up being a quiet afternoon. I did a bunch of laundry, put some dinner in the crockpot and worked on a major scrapping project. I even went to the library - haven't been there in a while. I decided I want to start reading a lot again so I went and found a great book to start with. I also got Season 1 of Little House on the Prairie on DVD. I love to watch movies while I'm scrapping and I LOVE Little Hosue on the Prarire! I have 7 whole seasons I can watch!

Sunday was church and then I typed up some project instructions (watching movies while I worked) and then shipped off a huge box to Utah. I worked on some more projects while I watched my Sunday night shows and then finally fell into bed!

I'm so happy I got a lot done. We're busy with Bible studies the next two nights so I won't be able to do much at home. In fact, I better get moving this morning! I got up early so I can get a lot accomplished before I head into work!

Have a great Monday! I'll share some Paper Posies projects soon!

Sneak peeks

Here's a look at the classes I'm teaching at the Get Inspired Scrapbooking Expo on November 3rd. The "Home" class features the new French Market papers from Rusty Pickle, and the gift bag and card class features the new Snowflakes and Mittens line. There's still time to sign up! :)

I was extremely productive today and got some major projects completed. Tomorrow I have plenty of work to do, but I'm going to take a couple hours to go to the scrapbooking convention. I'll post an update about the show soon! We're also going on a date this weekend - out for dinner and maybe to a movie! I love when we get to go on dates! :)

Have a great Friday!

Fall Family Fun!

Wow! It is 50 degrees this morning. I'm looking out my porch window now as leaves are falling to the ground. We have one tree in our neighbor's back yard that is a brilliant orange color. I love it!

Speaking of fall, here's a sneak peek of a product kit I designed for Rusty Pickle using the brand new French Market line and scalloped chipboard album. I kept the design fairly simple with lots of pockets and tags and I use a TON of glitter. It's my favorite, but not my husband's! :) On this example, I used lots of photos from family Thanksgiving last year. If you're interested in making a similiar album, just ask your LSS to buy the kit. They come pre-cut and everything!

Last night, I was up way later than usual but it's only because I finally finished a major task on my to-do list. Today, I'm shipping off a class kit to Rusty Pickle that I designed just for Lance to teach. It's called "The Story of Our Family" and it uses the French Market line. I love how it turned how....the colors of French Market are so rich and vibrant. I can't wait to use it on more projects. You can take this class if Lance comes to your LSS to teach.

Well, I better hop in the shower and get headed to work. I have lots more to work on tonight and feeling rather blessed that I don't have much going on this week. Have a great Wednesday! :)

Hello party people!

I think I'm finally starting to get a cold. I've been taking Zicam like it's going out of style, but I think a cold is going to break through. I woke up yesterday feeling crappy so I actually stayed in bed all morning. Today, I'm just plain tired with a twinge of a sore throat.

I actually got a lot accomplished this weekend. I cleaned out both cars on Saturday, got some pumpkins for the front of our house and put up some fall decorations. I usually do all my fall decorating right after Labor Day, but life has been too busy. I spent quite a bit of time working on a class for Rusty Pickle. Sunday was church and then we had the opportunity to participate in Life Chain, which is a silent rally against abortion. We stood on Merle Hay Road with members of our church holding signs that said "Adoption is the Loving Option." It was very, very powerful to be involved in something like this and really the first time I've taken a public stand about what I believe on this issue. I wish I would have had a camera to take photos of Glen and I together.

Now for some good news - I'll have lots of cards in 2008 issues of Crafts N' Things magazine! I'm super excited to work with this magazine because they just merged Paper Made Easy into this one. And, now for some bad news...I won't be teaching this weekend at the Midwest Scrapbooking Convention. The show numbers were too low for Rusty Pickle to be there. I'm planning on checking out the convention myself on Friday so that will be fun. But, if you are local and would like to take a class with me - I will be teaching November 3rd at the Get Inspired Scrapbook Expo. Just check out my links on the side.

Well, I best be getting busy. Have lots of work to do today! :)

Good morning, sunshine!

It's a gorgeous day in Iowa, and I'm feeling especially energetic and chipper today. (Let's hope this lasts all day so I'm productive!) What have I been up to? Well, I joined a gym and I'm loving it. I feel so much better about myself after I work out. I'm a little sore, but already feeling stronger. I'm going to aim for working out on Monday, Thursday and Friday mornings since those are the times I'm off work.

I've been doing a lot of scrappy work - I'll post some things here soon. I'll be incredibly busy scrapping this weekend - have lots of deadlines to meet. I have some good news to share too - I had a card picked up for the Feb/March issue of Paper Trends and my summer party ensemble I created for the last leg of the Rusty Pickle Amazing Race was also picked up by Homegrown Hospitality (a new magazine put out by Paper Crafts). I'm really excited about the party ensemble because it was a lot of work but so fun to see it all put together. I also have an assignment from the magazine for a project I submitted that they want reworked in different colors. All in all, it's been a good week.

Well, I better get moving. Tons to do today...make it a great Saturday! :)

Overcoming fear

My ladies' Bible study group started last night with an awesome book from the Women of Faith speakers called "Overcoming Fear." (By the way, if you ever have a chance to attend a Women of Faith conference, you should go. The weekend is extremely inspiring and the speakers all have amazing testimonies.)

Last night, we had a great discussion over the first two chapters. First, we talked about fears that we had in our childhood. I was afraid of things I saw on TV and the news - murders, break-in's, etc. I didn't like being home alone. We also talked about fears that may have been passed on from our parents and friends. I'm very claustrophobic, and I know I get that from my mom. I can't remember ever not being claustrophobic and still am to this day. I am also deathly afraid of heights...I think I'm just afraid to fall. I get all clammy and I get weak-in-the-knees. I hate ladders...I don't mind going up, but coming down is another story. I even get scared on the high floors of tall buildings. We went the Hancock Observatory in Chicago this summer, and I kept a safe distance between me and the windows. It even made me nervous when Glen was standing too close to the windows. I really don't know why I feel this way. I have never fallen a long distance or anything like that. It's not like I have past experience to make me afraid now. To me, these fears are somewhat irrational compared to other fears I have.

Probably the most dehabilitating fear I have is the fear of being out of my comfort zone. I don't mind change, but I get extremely uncomfortable when I'm in a situation with people I don't know. Sometimes, it gets to the point where I have an all-out panic attack and have to excuse myself. A perfect example of this is a neighborhood party we were invited to last month. I absolutely did not want to go because I would know very few people and I didn't know the hosts. Glen was persuasive (yes, I was bribed with ice cream) and I relented. We only would go for a half hour. I put on a happy face and went. I actually had a really good time and had the chance to meet some neighbors I would not have met otherwise. I had a lot in common with one woman, who is also a crafter. When I say "No" to certain situations I might not want to be in, I might be missing out on God's best for my life. It's just something I need to commit to God and let him be in control. He's not going to put me in situations I can't handle. I just need to put that thought to practice and be willing to take a leap of faith.

I'm sorry if this got too long - God just put it on my heart to share with you. Some of you might be dealing with fears as well, and my prayer is that you will let God take your burden.

Back to some fun stuff - Rusty Pickle is hosting a challenge on its blog for October - all you have to do is create an altered project using Halloween papers - past or present! The winner will get a fun prize package! Also, be sure to check out Lance's blog for some giveaways this week!

Finally, here's an altered band-aid tin I made for the October challenge. I made templates for the pumpkins myself. Have a great Wedneday! :)

Time to buckle down!

Last night, we had our small group (we meet every other Monday). As a group, we decided to go through Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover. I'm scared to do it because I know it's going to expose some things about myself that I don't like. I've always, always been a spender and not a saver. Money just burns a hole in my pocket. I know that I get it from my dad - we're both impulsive shoppers. Like most people, Glen and I live on credit. In the short time we have been married, we have managed to rack up some credit card debt. We have made major headway on our debt, but with me working part-time we've run into a few emergencies with our car, etc. Last night, we started reading chapter one of the book and it was amazing to hear the testimonies of people who paid of hundreds of thousands of debt in as little as 4 years. I have weaknesses when it comes to scrapbooking supplies even though I have enough to last me 100 years (anyone who has seen my ribbon stash knows I have a problem). My main problem (I think) is being content with what I have. I'm never satisfied...it's something I really need to work on. I need to learn to say "NO!" when I walk into a scrapbooking store or not walk in there in the first place. Yes, this process is going to be good for me as long as I make the commitment to buckle down!

Speaking of commitment, tomorrow night I'm going to join a gym! I'm actually very excited about it! The guy I talked to over the phone is going to give me the student discount (even though it's been a while since I have been a student). Luckily, I still have my student ID from BV! :) My sister's boyfriend goes to this gym too, but I doubt I'll run into him since I will most likely be working out on Monday, Thursday and Friday mornings.

Here's another Rusty Pickle project I made this weekend at the crop. I used the Mayflower collection and the jumbo monogram chipboard. The star on the end was a "happy accident." I accidentally punched holes in the "A" on the wrong side with my Crop-a-dile. Luckily, I had the star in my stash so I decided to go crazy with glitter. I was covered head-to-toe in glitter. It was really funny...people kept asking if it was glitter paper and someone even bought glitter at the store because of what I was doing! I got home and Glen asked me if I jumped in a pot of glitter - it was literally everywhere! I was even shaking it from my hair!

Well, have a good Tuesday! I started my day off great - made it to work early! I have a bunch to do today and ladies' Bible study tonight...it's a busy time!

A packed weekend...

This weekend just flew by. My sister hung out with us Friday night - went to the mall for a while and got Fazoli's. Glen and I watched We are Marshall Friday night. It was sooo good...I cried through most of the movie! Saturday, I cropped all day with a group of friends at Heirlooms. I got a couple cards done for Just Let Me Scrapbook. The "Thank you" card uses products from Prima and Melissa Frances. The "thinking of you" card uses products from Dream Street, MME, Jenni Bowlin, and EK Success. We had a great time cropping and had a yummy lunch - I had chicken salad!

Sunday was church, grocery shopping, cleaning/laundry, exercising and then we got to babysit for my little 4 year old cousin last night. We watched Madagascar and Ice Age together and had popcorn. My cousin was so sweet and cuddly last night. Glen and I caught each other's eyes several times and knew what the other was thinking. In God's timing, I know we'll have a little family like this too. It just made my heart ache for a little bit.

This morning, I'm feeling behind as usual. I feel like my to-do list is longer than normal. We have a full agenda tonight so I better get moving while I can do some things this morning. Have a great Monday!